Filmmaking has always been in the blood of brothers Yler and Lou Munar. As kids growing up in Manila, Philippines, the two would often steal their dad’s video camera, with Yler running and pretending to be chased by a monster as Lou captured every moment.
Now, at ages 40 and 44, respectively, the Munars, aka the Fear Marvelous Brothers, have turned their childhood passion into reality. Recently, they dropped the trailer for their full-length cinematic debut HORROR33, which was written, produced and directed entirely by the Levittown-based brothers.
Melding their lifelong interests of filmmaking and horror, HORROR33 takes place in the year A.D. 33. It follows two paranormal debunkers (played by the Munars) as they take on the Cloth of Resurrection and the film’s main antagonist: Judas Iscariot, the man who betrayed Jesus.
“We’re the first film to really create a villain around Judas,” said Yler. “It’s quite an interesting way to really attack without being too religious. The storyline, it’s unique, it’s different.”
The script has been in the works for a little over a year, with Yler and Lou bouncing ideas back and forth, most of them inspired by their own personal nightmares.
As for the title, that came about serendipitously. In addition to “33” being part of the address of Yler’s home in Levittown, the Munars were given a cabin with the number 33 while completing pre-production at the New Egypt Village Market in New Jersey.
“And then my grandfather, who’s really into horror films, his birth year is 33,” said Yler.
When it came time to choose a shooting location, Yler and Lou wanted to stay close. All of HORROR33 was filmed at a school in Pennypack and the Wading Pines Campground in South Jersey.
Currently, HORROR33 is awaiting approval from Sundance Film Festival, after which time it will be available for streaming on Amazon Prime. Despite it not being released for public viewing just yet, the Munars have felt nothing but support from their local community.
“The Levittown community, just Lower Bucks in general, is so supportive of us. We did a lot of photography and stuff like that to kind of grow a local following, and I’ve been in Levittown for about 10 years now, and the horror support is mind-blowing,” said Yler. “We’ve done a lot of festivals, have been all over the world and country. But nothing beats Bucks County when it comes to horror fanatics. It’s insane.”
Regarding filmmaking, Yler and Lou are entirely self-taught, picking up various tips and tricks along the way, especially during their early days of shooting content and photography for local businesses and other clients. For example, in HORROR33, they utilize a specific filter — one that’s used by their inspiration Jordan Peele, director of Get Out, Us and Nope — that gives the ability to shoot night scenes during the day.
They also didn’t need massive, professional-grade equipment to bring HORROR33 to life. Rather, the movie was shot in its entirety with an iPhone, which was placed in a handheld, custom rig and outfitted with a wireless boom mic.
“We are strictly a mobile filmmaking company. We strictly use iPhones,” said Yler. “We want to inspire other filmmakers, or those who are just passionate, the stay-at-home parents who want to pick up a hobby and make some money, who have creativity. We’re not the first ones to do it, but we’re the first ones to build a business model with just any type of camera you have. As long as you have the passion, the creativity, go for it. That’s the whole goal. We want to inspire other people out there who are just itching to start, but don’t have a $100,000 camera. You don’t need to because we shot a whole film with an iPhone.”
For the Munars, it’s all about learning and growing in their craft, something they’re excited to be doing as siblings who truly complement one another.
“It’s fantastic, quite an experience,” said Lou.
“No matter what, you’re brothers. You’re gonna bicker. Sometimes you don’t wanna be around each other. Especially if you’re filming a movie, you’re just around each other all the time,” said Yler. “But the great thing about filming as brothers and having a business as brothers is, the trust is there. You can rely on each other, especially those moments when I have anxiety and panic attacks. He’s like, ‘Listen, we’re gonna go over here, we’re gonna take a deep breath.’ He’s the calm one, although we both suffer from anxiety. Working together is, like he said, quite an experience. We love it.”
As for the name of their production company, Fear Marvelous stemmed from the anxiety that both brothers suffer from, especially when it comes to embarking on new ventures, and how they push through.
“We really wanted to move forward when it came to the entertainment side of photography and filmmaking. So Fear Marvelous, it’s actually the opposite. Don’t fear being extraordinary,” said Yler. “The name, it really is us. Although we do fear a lot of things, we’re just going for it and being extraordinary, in a sense.”
“Don’t be afraid,” added Lou.
As the brothers work to spread word about HORROR33, they’re already gearing up for their next project. This time, they’re entering the world of action/comedy with MARB1984, which follows a famous action film star from 1984 (played by Yler), who time warps to the present day. However, he’s stunned to learn that, in the year 2024, action movies are banned by the government. Only one girl is keeping the genre alive through an underground movie club. Can Marb save the genre and make it back to 1984?
Yler is excited to give Lou more of the directing reins as he steps in front of the camera for this comedic role.
“As Lou knows, I think I’m funny. Sometimes,” Yler said with a laugh. “When I get in my character mode, forget it. My kids are like, ‘Daddy, you’re embarrassing us, but you’re funny.’ ”
MARB1984 is expected to be released independently in spring 2025. Additionally, the Munars have plans for a sequel to HORROR33, as well as other future projects that combine their various loves. For example, as music aficionados, a horror musical is certainly not out of the question.
Visit Horror33Movie.com for updates and more information.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
